An accountant at uMhlathuze Local Municipality with 18 years of experience in local government, Ms Sibongekile Madlopha is ecstatic after obtaining her Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2024 Spring Graduation, which was held at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Thursday, 19 September 2024.
Ms Madlopha (39) from eNkonjeni at Ulundi was the first to graduate in the second cohort of MBA students studying at the DUT Business School, under the Faculty of Management Sciences.
“I’m very excited that I finally completed my MBA qualification. After experiencing some delays and a lot of reviewing and approval process of my research report module results, I thought I won’t be able to make it for the Spring Graduation. I would have loved to graduate along my MBA peers but some are still in the research approval stages,” shared Ms Madlopha.
For Ms Madlopha completing the MBA was not an easy journey as sometimes she felt like quitting but persevered to achieve her qualification. She found it challenging to find a balance between being a student, a full-time employee and a mother. She indicated that she had to sacrifice her sleep as she dedicated the time slot between 22h00 to 02h00 for her school work. She also had to miss several family gatherings as she had classes on Saturdays.
“I’m currently employed as an Accountant at uMhlathuze Local Municipality. My responsibilities include collecting revenue for the municipality and to ensure that the four pillars of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) which are People, Strategy, Processes and Technology are taken into account and are properly implemented,” shared Madlopha.
Her journey at DUT started in 2003 when she enrolled for a National Diploma in Accounting, which she obtained in 2006. She further enrolled for a Bachelor’s degree in Taxation which she obtained in 2007.
“In 2006 I achieved good marks for Financial Accounting I, II and III then I was approached by the lecturer for Financial Accounting, Mr Will Martins to assist fellow students with tutoring. May his soul rest in peace. In 2021 I enrolled for a Postgraduate Diploma in Management Science in Business Administration via the DUT Business School which I obtained in 2022. Lastly, in 2022 I enrolled for a Master in Business Administration. It was not an easy journey by through the grace of God and hard work I made it. I thank the God almighty for giving me the courage, discernment, and knowledge I needed to finish my MBA,” said Madlopha.
Her mini-dissertation is titled: Factors influencing the provision of water services at uMhlathuze Local Municipality. Sharing insight on her study, Madlopha said: “Municipalities have numerous obstacles while attempting to provide essential public services which often results to service delivery protests. The study investigated the factors influencing the provision of water services using a case study of the uMhlathuze Local Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal. The study examined the provision of basic water services, identified the challenges in water service delivery, and identified strategies to improve water service delivery at uMhlathuze Local Municipality.”
Amongst the DUT Living Values, Madlopha shared she associated mostly with ‘accountability’. She believes people should take responsibility for their actions. According to Madlopha accountability enables one to refrain from wasting time and resources on distracting activities and other ineffective habits.
Her special thanks goes to her supervisor, Dr. Genius Murwirapachena for his assistance, knowledge, patient direction, encouragement, and support during her MBA journey. She also expressed her gratitude to the management team of uMhlathuze Local Municipality and her fellow colleagues for their invaluable assistance, inspiration, and motivation. Not forgetting her family and friends for their encouragement and support.
“Education is the primary driver for personal growth. It requires a lot of sacrifices and compromises. My life principle is to strive to finish a project which I had started, I apply the same in my education. As Nelson Mandela said, education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world,” advised Ms Madlopha to students wishing to follow in her footsteps.
She intends to pursue her PhD in Leadership or a Doctor of Business Administration.
Pictured: MBA graduate, Sibongekile Madlopha.
Simangele Zuma
